This invention relates to a vacuum insulating glass (IG) unit including at least one spacer/pillar with getter material(s), and a corresponding method of making the same.
Vacuum IG units are known in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,154, 5,664,395, 5,657,607, 5,855,638, 5,891,536, and 5,902,652, the entire disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Prior art FIGS. 1-2 illustrate conventional vacuum IG unit 1. Unit 1 includes two spaced apart sheets of glass 2 and 3 which enclose an evacuated or low pressure space therebetween. Glass sheets 2 and 3 are interconnected by peripheral seal of fused solder 4 and an array of support spacers or pillars 5.
Pump out tube 8 is hermetically sealed by fused solder glass 9 to aperture 10 which passes from an interior surface of glass sheet 2 to the bottom of recess 11 in the exterior face of sheet 2. When sheets 2, 3 and peripheral/edge seal 4 are in place, prior to the tube being sealed, a vacuum is attached to tube 8 so that the interior cavity between sheets 2 and 3 can be vacuumed out or evacuated to create a low pressure area.
As shown in FIGS. 1-2, chemical getter 12 may be included within machined recess 13 in one of the glass sheets to counteract any rise in pressure due to out-gassing from the glass. Getters in vacuum IG units are also known as shown and/or described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,154, 5,124,185, and 5,657,607, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
While conventional getters discussed above can function in a satisfactory manner in different environments, they may suffer from processing problem(s) and/or high manufacturing cost requirements. For example, the getter in the Benson ""154 patent requires a separate metal plate-like structure between the sheets, which may not be considered aesthetically pleasing to some viewers. The getter of the Collins ""607 patent requires machining a recess in one of the glass plates for getter placement.
It is apparent from the above, that there exists a need in the art for a vacuum IG unit having an improved getter(s), and corresponding method for making the same. There also exists a need in the art for a getter(s) inclusive vacuum IG unit that does not require machining of a recess into one of the glass sheets for getter mounting. There exists a further need in the art for a vacuum IG unit which includes a structure that functions as both a getter and as a spacer/pillar. It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill any or all of the above listed needs in the art.
This invention will now be described with respect to certain embodiments thereof, accompanied by certain illustrations.
An object of this invention is to provide a vacuum IG unit including an improved getter(s).
Another object of this invention is to provide a vacuum IG window unit that includes a spacer/pillar that also functions as a getter.
Another object of this invention is to provide a getter structure for a vacuum IG unit that does not require machining a recess into a glass sheet for separate getter mounting or placement.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of making a getter/spacer (or getter/pillar) for a vacuum IG unit, the method including the step of applying a getter powder(s) onto a humidified spacer core and thereafter substantially melting the getter powder (e.g. using microwaves or some other form of energy) so that the getter material(s) diffuses into and/or adheres to the spacer core.
Another object of this invention is to provide a spacer/pillar for a vacuum IG unit, where the spacer/pillar is made of or comprises a getter material.
Another object of this invention is to fulfill any or all of the above-listed objects.
Generally speaking, this invention fulfills any or all of the above described needs in the art by providing a thermally insulating glass panel comprising:
first and second spaced apart glass substrates defining a low pressure space therebetween;
a seal interconnecting said first and second spaced apart glass substrates so as to hermetically seal said low pressure space between said substrates; and
an array of getter inclusive spacers disposed in said low pressure space for maintaining separation of said first and second glass substrates.
This invention further fulfills any or all of the above described needs in the art by providing a method of maintaining vacuum in a low pressure space between first and second substrates, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of getter spacers in the low pressure space between the first and second substrates to support the substrates and space the substrates from one another; and
the spacers adsorbing gas present in the low pressure space to maintain vacuum in the low pressure space.